Was just wondering just how secure my lappy is when I connect to the hotels wireless network? Just what can and does the hotel see as it pertains to my PC. If they see my MAC address then they gonna have a problem with that

Just what do they see and what can they do if anything ???? What about others on the network, like other guests ???

“Respect cannot be learned, purchased or acquired - it can only be earned” "Pay It Forward"

If you are not using a VPN tunnel and your are not using SSL for your connections (web browsing/fetching your email): everything if they want to. Put in a 100mbit hub somewhere along the line, connect system with network card in promiscuous mode (e.g. pick up all packets it can see) and run wireshark, can see your passwords to your email host in clear text even.

evasive wrote:If you are not using a VPN tunnel and your are not using SSL for your connections (web browsing/fetching your email): everything if they want to. Put in a 100mbit hub somewhere along the line, connect system with network card in promiscuous mode (e.g. pick up all packets it can see) and run wireshark, can see your passwords to your email host in clear text even.

Hummmm very interesting. I have business files on this lappy and that is where my main concern is. I see Gmail is HTTPS but as far as browsing and access to my laptop files etc. goes while on another's wireless or wired network it seems all is viewable....

I know individual files can be password protected , not that may help, but not the entire folder, a bummer............

“Respect cannot be learned, purchased or acquired - it can only be earned” "Pay It Forward"

If it matters, I've worked at a small resort off and on for a few years. They don't bother to check what's being transferred......basically, they don't care. Not time to monitor a swetup in a 120 room hotel that's almost always at max capacity. You'll get a temporary password (meaning you're somewhat secure) to login to the network, and with this hotel, you need a new one daily.No files are stored, the server is flushed of anything that was done with that password immediately. We have tons of business people, and none have ever had a problem.